Sterling Dental Professionals

Post Holiday Dentistry

The holidays are behind us. Now everyone says it’s the time of year for resolutions. But before all that, let’s go over some of the pitfalls you may have fallen into during the holidays! It pays to learn from what happened last year before you decide on any resolutions.

The holidays have some of the best food that we eat all year. It also has some of the worst foods that we eat all year in terms of health. The real danger comes from the snacking. Holiday cookies and Grandma’s pumpkin pie may be delicious, but they are definitely taxing for your teeth! It’s ok if you indulged in some of it. We get it, it was the holidays, and if you were naughty about your food well, ’tis the season.

Here are some things to consider when you look back at your holiday meals:

Did You Avoid Chewy Candies?

Foods like nougat, taffy, and toffee find their way into our holiday palates. The problem with these great confections is that they stick to your teeth. We all know the struggle of getting nougat out of our teeth; even brushing can sometimes leave bits behind. These sorts of candies leave sugar behind that can lead to tooth decay.

Did You Use Your Teeth as Scissors?

We’ve all done it: opening stubborn packaging with our teeth. We don’t really need to explain it to you, but your teeth are not meant to be used as cutting tools for anything that isn’t food! It wears down your enamel, making them susceptible to all sorts of complications. In the worst case, you can chip your teeth! In the best case, you’ll wear down your tooth enamel, which YOUR BODY CANNOT REPLACE!

Did You Watch Which Room You were in?

For the sake of your dental health, step out of the kitchen and dining room where all the sweets are! That way, you can keep the urge to snack at bay!
Did You Pay Extra Attention to your Teeth?

As in, were you more careful than usual? No matter how careful you were, the holidays were surely extra hard on your teeth! During the holidays, you need to brush your teeth more often than usual, and if there was one time of year that you needed to use floss and mouth wash (of course you should everyday anyway), this is the time! A little of extra effort will go a long way!

The holidays are the season for a lot of things: Family, Love, Gifts, and Food. Hopefully they are also a season for solid dental health. But now it’s the time of year for resolutions. Resolve to apply some of our holiday guidelines in your daily life, and of course during the holidays. From all of us, Have a wonderful new year!

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